Katherine Crocker

Katherine Crocker

Assistant Professor, Biology

Katherine Crocker (they/them preferred, she/her accepted; Kaw Nation of Oklahoma) is interested in whether and how the environment experienced by an  animal can impact the phenotypes of that animal’s descendants across multiple generations. They have investigated this general question using cricket egg hormones (Acheta domesticus, Gryllus pennsylvanicus, and G. veletis) and human DNA methylation data. Specific questions they have considered so far include (in crickets) whether diet quality affects multiple generations of descendants (yes!), whether social environment affects hormone provisioning behaviors (also yes!), whether microhabitat impacts hormone provisioning behavior in wild crickets (unclear so far), and (in humans) whether coarse, easy-to-acquire data (such as BMI and waist circumference) are biologically synonymous for the purposes of assessing health (no!). They are also interested in the evolutionary history of steroid hormones (structure and function across the tree of life), and in critical Indigenous philosophies of science.

Education
BA Cornell University 2009
MS University of Michigan 2013
MS University of Michigan 2018
PhD University of Michigan 2018
Classes
Comparative Endocrinology BIOL 357-A Spring 2024
Biological Theories of Kinship BIOL 381-A Fall 2024

Contact Information

Thompson 257D